Category Archives: Features

Features

North Andover’s Fiore Delivers Unforgettable Finish at Spartan Ultra World Championship

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Confusion abounded at the finish line of the inaugural Spartan Ultra World Championship on Sunday, Dec. 17, in Reykjavik, Iceland, but it had nothing to do with the outcome of the race.

Joshua Fiore, a resident of North Andover, Mass., was the winner – that much was certain. What puzzled the race’s announcer and other spectators gathered at the finish line was why Fiore was so intently digging into his pack pocket rather than exuberantly celebrating his world championship.

“Uh-oh, we’ve got a surprise coming,” the announcer said. Continue reading North Andover’s Fiore Delivers Unforgettable Finish at Spartan Ultra World Championship →

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Features, Vermont 100

Robidoux Runs 100: Teamwork, Tenacity Propel Runner with Visual Impairment at VT100

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A month has passed since Kyle Robidoux took his final strides uphill, stepped across the finish line of the Vermont 100 and was engulfed in a raucous round of applause, hugs, and tears from a few dozen friends, well-wishers, and fellow finishers.

It was Sunday morning, July 16. He’d just run 100 miles. Continue reading Robidoux Runs 100: Teamwork, Tenacity Propel Runner with Visual Impairment at VT100 →

Features

McConaughy Aims for Ambitious Appalachian Trail Speed Record

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Editor’s Note: The interview with Joe McConaughy for this story took place July 14, a few days before he began his Appalachian Trail Fastest Known Time pursuit. As of today’s publication, Joe should be about halfway through his journey if all is going according to plan.

Whether on the trail or in everyday life, Joe McConaughy is a tough guy to track down. That has been particularly true this year. Whether it’s racing among national elites at West Coast ultramarathons, putting in long hours at a job he enjoys in sales for international travel/education company Education First, or spending quality time with his girlfriend Katie Kiracofe, most of McConaughy’s time has been spent on the go.

Knowing this, it was no surprise that it took a week to coordinate a time that would work to discuss the Boston resident’s grand summer adventure. This was the last – and only – time that would work. He’d spent a week in Canada with spotty cell service.

Today (July 14), he’s in Seattle, dropping off Katie at a Ragnar Relay event and visiting his family. Tomorrow he’ll hop a plane to Georgia. Shortly thereafter, he will disappear into the woods. Continue reading McConaughy Aims for Ambitious Appalachian Trail Speed Record →

Features

Massachusetts Trio Set to Take on Western States

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As folks in Massachusetts are sipping their coffee on Saturday morning and finishing breakfast before heading out for a weekend long run, there’s a good chance some will be logged onto UltraLive.net and looking intently for the first few nuggets of information about the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run.

The 44th running of the Western States 100 begins at 5 a.m. PST (8 a.m. EDT) Saturday, June 24, and runners have 30 hours to complete the 100.2-mile journey from Squaw Valley to Auburn, Calif., in ultrarunning’s original 100-mile trail footrace. Runners will climb more than 18,000 feet and descend more than 23,000 feet during the course of the race.

Three Massachusetts residents will be among the 369 runners to toe the starting line in what is expected to be a highly competitive year overall, and arguably the deepest women’s field in the history of the race. Continue reading Massachusetts Trio Set to Take on Western States →

Features

Experienced Rusiecki Ready to Cash in Golden Ticket to Western States

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Hectic racing schedules and last-minute planning are nothing new to Brian Rusiecki.

He races more frequently than most ultrarunners – Rusiecki finished 10 ultras in 2016 and already has six to his credit in 2017. It’s common for him to register for a race at the last minute, hit the road to Vermont or Virginia, show up at the starting line and see what happens.

That longtime approach may bode well for Rusiecki as he prepares for one of the biggest races of his career. On May 9, UltraRunning Magazine announced that Rusiecki was the men’s winner of the UltraRunning Race Series and that he, along with women’s winner Clare Gallagher, 25, of Boulder, Colo., had been awarded Golden Ticket entries into the Western States Endurance Run June 24-25 from Squaw Valley to Auburn, Calif. Continue reading Experienced Rusiecki Ready to Cash in Golden Ticket to Western States →

Features, TARC

‘The Trails Are Free’ Brings TARC, Ultrarunning Culture to the Big Screen

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Lindsey Topham didn’t have filmmaking on her mind when she first connected with the Trail Animals Running Club in 2009. Instead, the Boston University graduate student was looking to photograph ultrarunners for a multimedia assignment. Additionally, having recently moved to Massachusetts from California, she hoped to make some new friends who could introduce her to the local trails.

Nearly eight years later, there is excitement in Topham’s voice as she reflects on her early interactions with TARC, how her connection to the organization blossomed both behind the camera and as a runner, and where her journey ultimately led. Continue reading ‘The Trails Are Free’ Brings TARC, Ultrarunning Culture to the Big Screen →

Features, TARC

Luck, Longevity and Jeff List’s Love of the ‘Brutal Benchmark’ that is Hardrock

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Jeff List didn’t spend Hardrock lottery day with his eyes glued to Twitter.

Instead, on Saturday, Dec. 3, while the social media feed informed the world exactly who among the nearly 2,000 entrants into the Hardrock 100 lottery had been selected for 145 spots at the starting line, List was doing what Hardrock veterans do best – running long miles on rugged trails. Continue reading Luck, Longevity and Jeff List’s Love of the ‘Brutal Benchmark’ that is Hardrock →